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Royal Expands Tennessee Plant

With new plans to add window profile extrusion to existing cellular PVC production, Royal Group has completed a 250,000 square foot expansion at its plant in Bristol, Tenn. With a total extrusion manufacturing footprint of 400,000 square feet, the Bristol facility produces Royal Mouldings’ line of cellular PVC decorative trim products, and will soon add extrusion for the company’s Royal Guard window system targeted at high-wind and impact markets in the Southeast.

The Royal Guard product has attracted several new window fabricator customers, it is noted, which the Tennessee plant will service. The company is also planning to produce bundled offerings of both cellular PVC extrusions and rigid PVC extrusions in the Bristol plant. The new service will enable manufacturers to offer a hybrid profile window that more readily simulates the look and feel of wood, officials say. The Bristol expansion was underway when Georgia Gulf, based in Atlanta, acquired Royal Group in October 2006. The facility has been designed, however, to accommodate new leading-edge PVC compound and extrusion technology, which Georgia Gulf and Royal Group management have worked together to develop, according to executives.

“It is strategically located to serve our expanding customer base in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and South-Central segments of the USA marketplace,” says Ed Schmitt, Georgia Gulf chairman, president and CEO. “We now have the plant, the products and the people we need to participate in the growing market for durable, low-maintenance PVC building and home improvement products in the Southern USA.”

Georgia Gulf has also announced several management changes at Royal. Art Ramey has been appointed president of sales and marketing for Royal Group’s rigid and cellular PVC window and door profiles, decorative mouldings, trim boards and coatings business units. Most recently president of Royal Mouldings, Ramey is now responsible for implementing strategies to leverage current distribution channels with a wider product offering.

Brandon Nadler is now general manager of U.S. operations for Royal Group’s window and door profiles, decorative mouldings, trim boards and coatings business units. A 19-year Georgia Gulf veteran, he is responsible for extrusion operations in these product areas located in Pennsylvania, Washington, Nevada, Tennessee, Virginia, and Texas.

Peter Kotiadis has been appointed vice president of design and product development for Royal Group’s window and door profile, outdoor storage building, fence, deck and rail product lines. A 17-year Royal veteran, hs responsibilities include building on Royal’s history of product and process development by ensuring technologies are deployed widely throughout its operations. Development endeavors within Royal have historically been fundamentally decentralized, officials note. Kotiadis works with its entire design network, marrying together rigid PVC extrusion, cellular PVC extrusion, and compound and finishing technologies as required to create value-added products for customers. Royal Group’s development endeavors have historically been fundamentally decentralized. In addition, Mr. Kotiadis will introduce management techniques to further reduce Royal Group’s time to market with new products.

“The management of Georgia Gulf and Royal Group have combined their strengths during the initial months following the acquisition to identify several opportunities to enhance both top and bottom lines,” notes Georgia Gulf’s Schmitt. “We are now structured to execute this next phase of our integration plan.”